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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chip — for betting
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ground — the earth
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rule — a law
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — for golf
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — crushed
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rule — government
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com